Most of the time, we face up to new worlds brought by relentless changes not of our making. A deep change brings risks and takes us out of our comfort zones: we will be confronted with confusion, uncertainty and fear.
We can choose to adapt to the new conditions. Or we can choose to brave emerging worlds with curiosity, open minds, and purpose – to be future-ready.
So, what new worlds await us? Who are the visionaries crafting these new worlds? Who will be the new winners? How prepared are we, as a society and individuals, for the shift? What part can we play in shaping the new world?
Join us on April 21st for an inspirational look into the future!
Speakers
Speakers may not be confirmed. Check event website for more information.
Anja Wyden Guelpa
Chancellor of State in Geneva, Switzerland
Since the beginning of her career as project manager, Anja has been an innovation enthusiast and strongly believes that change is the natural order of things. In 2009, she was the first woman to be elected Chancellor of State in Geneva and was reelected in 2013 for a second term. In this position, Anja manages transversal issues and projects related to the modernization of the administration and aims both at improving the efficiency of the State administration and turning public policy challenges into opportunities.Billie Bird
Singer
Billie Bird is not the small creature you would imagine. Named after a famous english explorer, Billie Bird is a woman who knows what she wants and makes it happen. Writing songs, playing them, recording them, and offering them to the public. That's what she does.Elie Gardner
Journalist
Elie is a freelance filmmaker and photographer based in Istanbul, Turkey. She is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. Her work focuses on the power of story to inform, inspire and ultimately create change regarding complex social issues: immigration, education and women’s rights. Through personal and intimate narratives, she tries to make these often abstract ideas more relatable.Geneviève Favre Petroff
Peformance artist
Geneviève Favre Petroff is a Lausanne visual and scenic artist. She studied Fine arts at the Geneva University of Art and Design. She works and lives in Paris. Her performances were several times rewarded in Switzerland and are internationally presented during collectives exhibitions as well as contemporary art, music, fashion, performance of digital art festivals.Katt Tait
Artist
Katt is a singer, actor, writer, and creativity catalyst on a mission to spread joy worldwide... one artistic endeavour at a time. She elevates vibrations with her distinctive sound & colorful presence while blurring boundaries and jumping genres. Katt brings personality to everything she touches...soul. Katt’s artistic journey has led her to create unique projects like First Instrument: The Voice, an a cappella workshop for schools, and an improvisational music collaboration, Spontaneous Combustion.Kevin McGeeney
Co-founder and CEO of SCB
Kevin, the co-founder and CEO of SCB, one of the world’s largest renewable -energy brokerage firms, proposes a radical solution to address emergency food shortages - and it doesn’t involve building more stockpiles. With offices in Switzerland and eight other locations including the USA, the UK and Singapore, Kevin is a well-known commentator on environmental market issues for CNBC television and the Wall Street Journal.Lorien Gamaroff
CEO at Bankymoon
Lorien, as South Africa’s foremost blockchain expert, has been invited around the world to speak on digital currencies and their benefits for emerging economies. He has addressed the IMF, World Bank, FBI, Commonwealth Secretariat, South African Reserve Bank and a host of banking professionals, attorney generals and professionals throughout the world. He developed the world's first blockchain prepayment solution for smart grids, and is currently working on a crowdfunding platform which allows foreign donation of electricity to needy African schools.Michael Casey
Senior Advisor, Blockchain Research at MIT Media Lab / Consultant - Fintech / Public Speaker / Author
Having closed a career as a journalist for The Wall Street Journal, Michael now dedicates his time on projects harnessing the social, economic and political impact of digital technologies. He’s Senior Advisor at MIT Media Labs's Digital Currency Initiative, and consults for businesses on the challenges and opportunities in blockchain technology. His latest fascinating book, co-authored with Oliver Luckett, looks at social media and how it functions like a living organism. (The Social Organism: A Radical Understanding of Social Media to Transform Your Business and Life. Hachette Books, 2016)Paolo Gallo
Chief Human Resources Officer at the World Economic Forum
Paolo Gallo is the Chief Human Resources Officer at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, with a previous career at the World Bank as Chief Learning Officer, at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development as Director of Human Resources, and at the International Finance Corporation in Washington and Citigroup. Paolo has worked in 70 different countries and, among other activities, he is a certified coach from Georgetown University and a writer for Harvard Business Review Italia and Forbes.Peter Zurbrügg
Architect
Peter started his professional education with an apprenticeship in electronics. He has a degree in electrical engineering and studied architecture at EPFL. In addition to his activities as an independent architect, he teaches different courses at EPFL in the fields of construction, technical equipments, building materials, building simulation, renovation and bioclimatic architecture. In his work in architectural design, Peter's main concern is the fulfilment of human needs.Teohna Williams
Conflict advisor
Teohna works as an advisor to senior officials focused on security, stability, and governance in fragile states. Her recent work as Advisor to the UK Special Envoy for South Sudan involved advising on policy and programming for the UK’s support to South Sudan’s peace process. Amongst other positions, Teohna has also worked as a Programme Manager for the UNDP on conflict transformation and peacebuilding and as an advisor on security & justice reform with the Geneva Centre for Security, Rule of Law and Development. Teohna has worked in Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, the Middle East, as well as South Sudan. She finds great value in ensuring that her work with political leaders is informed by her engagement with communities.Organizing team
